The Time of Hardship
by Laengruk10001
Summary: A man, a girl, and a mission. Vasili is a broken man who had lost hope with the world, but can a certain pink female cat that was kidnapped from her family when she was 3 years old, The Wattersons, change all that after her rescue from capture? Only time will tell as betrayals and relationships are placed on the line.


**Hello and welcome to a very special story that I have had for a couple of days now. Hope you enjoy it. That's all for now.**

**Anyway, I also managed to check out A Birthday to Remember. Now, some of might be pissed, but... I gave it a 3 out of 5.**

**Audience Boos**

**Okay, okay look. I just think the plot, character, grammar, and quality were flawed, but it was still an enjoyable presentation and is a good read.**

**Now, on to the status of the TAWOG archive. Since recently, I have notice a lack of story updates and new story published. Now, I'm here to discuss the two sides of the current issues between the critics and the story writers. Critics, I understand you want to share your own thoughts on stories, but may I remind you that you also have another duty to do and that's to make stories. I don't care whether you give up on these review stories or not, but we also need to focus on story ideas and what you can do to make this community a better place. If we do not change our ways, we'll turn this into an archive filled with critics, and trust me, before you know it, this archive well have sunk to the bottom of the sea. Story writers, I can understand you hate some of the critics or hate all of them, but really, all they want is for you to improve. Not having your work praised is good because it'll help you improve as an author and you'll get great recognition if you do. If you don't, you'll be like Agent BM (Note: If you're reading this Agent BM, I highly apologize, though, I lost some respect for you after you posted your hate about critics and how you say we have entered the dark times.) I believed we have reach the dark times when we have lost wonderful ideas. The early days of this archive was like the renaissance which I say was spectacular, but now looks like the renaissance days are over. We have lost many of our readers and now, many of our authors aren't as great anymore. It represents decline in quality. It's like Spongebob Squarepants, where the episodes aren't as great at the originals anymore. Back to story writers. Story writers, there is also a chance you may find there are critics you will or won't like, but you know, that's okay. It's okay to favor a critic over another if you wish.**

"Vasili, is it over?" A soft female voice asked.

"Every odyssey has a beginning and an end. This isn't over nor the end, not by a long shot."

"_Life is at its best when everything has fallen out-of-place, and you decide that you're going to fight to get them right, not when everything is going your way and everyone is praising you." - Thisuri Wanniarachchi_

**8 years ago...**

"Vasili, you up? Vasili!" Vasili rose from his slumber to only be greeted by Joan, a male human corporal in the US Army. The group that Vasili found himself in were the famous Green Berets, or the United States Army Special Forces. Currently, they are being transported via Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk, specially modified for this type of mission. Objective is to secure captives of human trafficking on one uncharted island located in the Pacific. Vasili didn't want to volunteer for the mission since it was irrelevant to the case he had received from a family who had just lost their daughter in some sort of robbery at the Elmore Mall. One question that persists in Vasili's mind is why would a robber just randomly take a child with him. He looked into this and so far, he had found nothing. Completely no motivation for the kidnapping, but maybe, just maybe, the mission well help to clarify things even more. Sources tell him that the girl he is looking for to reunite with the family has possibly been sighted on the island due to photos delivered by an anonymous source.

"So, Vasili, what brings an old man like you here into the Special Forces?"

"I'm helping one of my clients. The case involves me rescuing a little girl who was taken from the mall. Have no idea why she got kidnapped. I dug into lots of files, but found no conclusion for the kidnapping, no motivation but sources tells me that she might be here due to the photos I've received from an anonymous tip. So that's why I'm pretty much here fighting with you Yankees, Joan"

"Glad you're on our side." Joan expressed cheerfully. "Yeah, but this is only temporarily, got that?" Vasili stated to the corporal.

"Oh man. That's a real shame, Vasili" Vasili playfully punches the corporal. "Just shut it corporal."

"If you guys are finish," The sergeant stated. Vasili doesn't know a lot about the sergeant since they didn't get a quick chance to talk. All he knows is that the man's last name was Smith. From what he had heard from Joan, Smith has just been relieved from the Iraq War and sometime after leaving the Army, he found himself approached by the CIA. From Joan's info, the CIA were huge on recruiting veterans from any type of conflict. Joan thinks there's a reason and believe it, it does sound like the most ridiculous thing you would ever here from a typical soldier. Basically, he believes the CIA are building their own army to go and deal with Al Qaeda leaders. How he thinks this works is that the men in this supposed secret army are placed as Al Qaeda cells to gain an Al Qaeda HIV's trust before direct assassination of the HIV. Coming from Joan, it sounded strange and rather sounded like a plot from a typical Western Hollywood movie filled with action, hot chicks, hot chick action, and ridiculous amounts of explosion, violence, guns going 'bang, bang', tanks going 'boom, boom', helicopters swishing everywhere, firing bullets and missiles, and jets flying by with a sonic boom that fills the ears. "We'll brief the mission again. Our intel suggests that a local trafficking site has been sighted on one uncharted island that was apparently left unaccounted for on the maps, so expect to check out the entire area. Our job is to storm the island and take out those sick son of bitches down. These sick bastards have taken innocent women and children away from a loving family and told them that they were going to have a better home and life, and what do they get? They get forced slavery and prostitution. Prostitution is a terrible crime if it's forced, but slavery is much worse. As a country, we have fought against the CSA and won freedom for the minorities and I'll be hell if they take that right away from us. Hooah?"

"Hooah!" All the men cried except for Vasili. Vasili, while in his chair, seated, takes a peek out the door and meets the hot, shining ray of the sun, but after that came a cool wind caused by the acceleration coming from the Black Hawk. He looks even further to see what they were looking at. The current weather was nice for the tropical climate and was clear as blue in the colorful and bright sky. Below the sky lied the jungles. Large trees were everywhere, covering the ground with its lush, green leaves that left a strong scent caused by the heavy rainfall from days ago from the looks of it. The trees were also so tall, they try to reach and grab the sky. The trees would offer some good cover for stealth and reconnaissance when heading into a group of hostile ready to go weapons free and shoot anyone who crossed the boundary dead. What happens afterward is unknown, though if you ever find yourself alive, best you not better surrender unless you're in it for your body to take much torture from the enemy. So for a short little tip: better dead than alive. The helicopter starts landing on the sandy, wide and open beach and the engines turns off, the helicopter coming to a whining slow halt as the blades slow down. Their boots land on the soft terrain, no doubt caused by the incoming water that comes immediately rushing to their feet.

"Oh right, boys. Let's secure the terrain and then move out for reconnaissance of the trafficking site. Let's go." Smith ordered.

**Some time later...**

"Vasili, sniping position set up?"

"Roger out, Joan. How are you and the boys?"

"We're nearing the village. Remember Vasili, you need to keep us cover so we can remain undetected. If our cover's blown, feel free to go weapons free on those sons of bitches."

"Copy, Joan. Out."

**Unknown P.O.V.**

It has been 9 years since I've been taken, away from my home and possibly my family. I know not nor know where I've lived, my past life, and even my parents and sibling. I wonder sometimes at night if they are still out there, hoping to find their own daughter who is awaiting her rescue from inside these cells. Since I got locked in shackles, I have notice many of the other women and children that got taken away and sold all for work and money. I fear I may be the next one out of here due to poor work I've done in the last couple of years. When I was 10, my so-called master put me to work to help produce more drugs and by done, most of the other children who worked here were already shipped off to another trafficker. I can only feel sympathy towards the kids who have lost their young lives to slavery and imprisonment and I hope only god will have mercy on all their young souls. After only a year of working, I started to lose focus of my work when I saw a poor woman get shot in the head for trying to escape. I can even recall the details when they executed her. Two men got her on to her knees, holding her from the shoulder as my master drew out a gun, though, I could not tell what type of gun is it. I learned about guns when I was around 5 or 9. Can't remember exactly due to loss of that memory. I watched as the master pushed the gun up to the woman's head and before I even knew it, a loud bang went off and I could only see her lying there, dead. If she had any kids, they would only feel sorrow now that they were orphans. I could only say from this entire experience for god to grant us freedom like I prayed every night when every was asleep in the Worker's Quarters.

The door swung open on the empty Worker's Quarters, causing a loud thud. I turned to see that one of the guards was standing there. He resembled an old, bald white human male with brown eyes. His outfit included a short sleeve green army coat and long green army pants. A machine gun ammunition belt were around his shoulder because he got placed on the defense by the master. His boots were regular army boots, but it looked outdated, worn out, and covered in dirt.

"Get up. It is time, Lexy."

**That's right, I'm back! Finally, after a long hiatus. Sorry for not giving you a Halloween story, but don't worry. Anyway, yeah Lexy's in the story and not much really to say about that except to watch out for Chapter Two. Hope you enjoy the chapter 1 so far. Also, just in case, if you're a big fan of Steven Universe, the category is now open and there is currently 8 or 9 stories. If you want to help out, you can publish a story there. Let's just hope it won't fall to decline of quality like this archive.**


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